That's Not You
by Balandria
Summary: Even though he hates the half-breed, even though he has the urge to kill him in horrible pangs throughout every day, he won't let Inuyasha become something his little brother is not.


**That's Not You**

**By:** Balandria

The second the smell of his blood permeated the air, Sesshomaru's nose wrinkled. Such a disgusting scent--the scent of a half-breed. The scent of a freak of nature--of one who does not deserve to live. An abomination.

"Then come and fight me, bastard!" The nuisance yelled, not only filling the air with the scent of his wretched blood but also with the irritating sound of his voice. All of it angered the full-demon to no end.

Such foolishness--he wished that one day Inuyasha would just accept his fate. The fact that he would be killed by his brother, once and for all. Then they wouldn't have to play with such pretenses.

"As you wish." He murmured, gliding forward with speed that the half-breed could only dream to match, striking the fool with his Tokijin. Uselessly, Inuyasha tried to block the attack with the Tetsusaiga--the sword that should be in Sesshomaru's grasp, not that of the half-breed. Inuyasha tumbled back, landing on his feet, clutching the Tetsusaiga in one hand in an effort to keep standing, while the other hand sat atop his fresh wound. The blood spilt from between his fingers and more of the scent filled the air. Inwardly, Sesshoumaru grimaced. "Fool."

"Yeah," the idiot growled. "Keep talking, 'cause you'll be next."

"Otouto, your persistence has ceased to amuse me long ago."

"Shut up!" Inuyasha winced, taking his hand away and getting back into his fighting stance. "Today's the day you die, Sesshoumaru!"

"Only in your wildest dreams, little brother," Sesshoumaru held his Tokijin up in the direction of Inuyasha. "have you killed me. For we both know you cannot overpower me. You are just a half-breed--you'll never possess the power that our father bestowed upon me by being his son."

"I'm tired of your yapping!" Inuyasha rushed at him with the Tetsusaiga. Sesshoumaru fell back easily, re-appearing with his brother's neck tightly in his grasp. He sunk his poisonous nails into the skin before throwing him far, the Tokijin slashing the tender skin.

The Tetsusaiga fell from the half-breed's hand, falling somewhere in the general direction where they could not see immediately. Inuyasha lay on the ground, unmoving. Sesshoumaru could hear every single beat of his faltering heart.

Thump...th-thump...thump...th-thump...

Slowly, so gradual that Sesshoumaru noticed every moment of it, the scent in the air changed. It lost its human essence, turning to something far wilder than before, something closer to his own. To his father's.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened--an action rare for the dog-demon--as his brother stood with animalistic eyes, the markings of the demon in his blood, brutally etched into his face. Inuyasha snarled, showing elongated and thickened fangs.

His brother flew at him, hands crooked into claws, sharp nails biting into his armor. When Sesshoumaru tried to dodge, Inuyasha caught up with him again, claws cutting into the cloth of his kimono, cutting into his tough demon's skin.

Sesshoumaru lashed out with his poison whip, slashing Inuyasha's skin further, drawing out more of that odd blood. Inuyasha growled, ignoring his wounds, continuing to strike at his brother.

This was wrong--more foolish than before. Growing tired of this, Sesshoumaru took his Tokijin and plunged it deep into Inuyasha's heart.

The younger brother's actions stuttered. He roared, desperately slashing the air with his claws, trying to find purchase on flesh. Sesshoumaru withdrew his sword, leaving his brother to fall to the ground, his chest soaked with blood, the warm liquid pooling around his body, the odd scent thick on the dog-demon's nose. Stifling.

Inuyasha's heart slowly beated to oblivion, the beats fading out.

Sesshoumaru didn't approve.

He took his Tenseiga out, his vision showing him the creatures preparing to take his brother to the netherworld, and killed them all with his sword of Heaven.

Inuyasha's heart seemed to mend itself, thumping back to life, and his markings slowly fled, the wildness leaving his face and his body losing its ridged position.

His breathing became slow, like a child in deep slumber, resting in the liquid of his life.

The true scent of his blood re-appeared, oddly calming Sesshoumaru, and the demon put his Tokijin and Tenseiga back in their respective sheaths, before turning his back on his brother.

"I'll not truly kill you," Sesshoumaru said, quietly addressing his unconscious nuisance, "when that which I am killing is not you."

And with that, he faded away into the shadows of night.


End file.
